Filter medium and filter unit

ABSTRACT

A filter medium includes a first porous PTFE membrane, a first air-permeable support member, a second porous PTFE membrane, and a second air-permeable support member. A surface of the filter medium is formed by the first porous PTFE membrane. A bond strength, as measured by a 180° peel test, between the first porous PTFE membrane and the first air-permeable support member is higher than 1.2 N/25 mm. The first air-permeable support member is an embossed non-woven fabric having one or more recessed portions and one or more projecting portions. A ratio of the area of the recessed portion or the total area of the recessed portions to the area of the embossed non-woven fabric serving as the first air-permeable support member is more than 15%.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to filter media and filter units.

BACKGROUND ART

Filter media having a porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane areused in various applications, such as in intake air filters forturbines, air filters for clean rooms, and filters for householdelectric appliances. Patent Literature 1 discloses a filter mediumincluding one support member and two porous PTFE membranes, the supportmember being held between the porous PTFE membranes. Patent Literature 2discloses a filter medium including two support members and one porousPTFE membrane, the porous PTFE membrane being held between the supportmembers. Patent Literature 1 also discloses a filter medium includingtwo porous PTFE membranes and two support members, the porous PTFEmembranes and the support members being alternately arranged.

In some cases, a filter medium is required to permit removal of dustfrom a surface of the filter medium so that the filter medium can berepeatedly used. As stated in Patent Literature 1, dust adhering to asurface of a filter medium can easily be removed when the surface of thefilter medium is formed by a porous PTFE membrane.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature 1: JP 2005-246233 A

Patent Literature 2: JP 2012-228687 A

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

To remove dust adhering to a surface of a filter medium, the filtermedium may be exposed to a blast of air or may be washed with water. Inthis case, however, a porous PTFE membrane used in the filter medium maybe damaged by a high pressure imposed by an air stream or water stream,since such a porous PTFE membrane is very thin. Specifically, the porousPTFE membrane may be broken or may be separated from a support member.Enhancing the bond strength between the porous PTFE membrane and thesupport member or increasing the thickness of the porous PTFE membraneimproves the durability of the filter medium, but can lead to asignificant decrease in air permeability (increase in pressure drop).That is, there is a trade-off relationship between the durability andair permeability.

In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims toprovide a technique by which the durability of a filter medium designedto permit easy removal of dust by cleaning can be improved whileavoiding a significant decrease in air permeability. The presentinvention also aims to provide a filter unit including the filtermedium.

Solution to Problem

That is, the present invention provides a filter medium comprising afirst porous PTFE membrane, a first air-permeable support member, asecond porous PTFE membrane, and a second air-permeable support memberthat are stacked in this order and bonded to one another, wherein

a surface of the filter medium is formed by the first porous PTFEmembrane,

a bond strength, as measured by a 180° peel test, between the firstporous PTFE membrane and the first air-permeable support member ishigher than 1.2 N/25 mm,

the first air-permeable support member is an embossed non-woven fabrichaving one or more recessed portions and one or more projectingportions, and

a ratio of the area of the recessed portion or the total area of therecessed portions to the area of the embossed non-woven fabric servingas the first air-permeable support member is more than 15%.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a filter unitincluding:

the filter medium as defined above; and

a frame supporting an outer peripheral portion of the filter medium.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the present invention, the durability of a filter mediumdesigned to permit easy removal of dust by cleaning can be improvedwhile avoiding a significant decrease in air permeability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a filter medium accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a plan view of an embossed non-woven fabric (T-type) suitablefor use in the filter medium shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2B is a plan view of another embossed non-woven fabric (S-type)suitable for use in the filter medium shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2C is a diagram for describing an advantage of a T-type embossednon-woven fabric.

FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of a 180° peel testfor measuring a bond strength between a first porous PTFE membrane and afirst air-permeable support member.

FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of a 180° peel testfor measuring a bond strength between a first air-permeable supportmember and a second porous PTFE membrane.

FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating a thermal lamination process in theproduction of the filter medium shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating another exemplary thermal laminationprocess.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a filter unit including the filtermedium shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a cyclone vacuum cleaner includingfilter units.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for testing thedurability of filter media.

FIG. 8A is an optical photograph of a surface of a filter medium ofExample 1 as observed after a test for examining the ease of cleaning.

FIG. 8B is an optical photograph of a surface of a filter medium ofComparative Example 4 as observed after a test for examining the ease ofcleaning.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be describedwith reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited tothe embodiment described below.

As shown in FIG. 1, a filter medium 20 according to the presentembodiment includes a first porous PTFE membrane 11, a firstair-permeable support member 12, a second porous PTFE membrane 13, and asecond air-permeable support member 14. The first porous PTFE membrane11, the first air-permeable support member 12, the second porous PTFEmembrane 13, and the second air-permeable support member 14 are stackedin this order and are bonded to one another.

In the present embodiment, one surface of the filter medium 20 is formedby the first porous PTFE membrane 11. Porous PTFE membranes generallyhave a smooth, slippery surface. The configuration of the presentembodiment thus makes it possible, when dust is deposited on the surfaceof the filter medium 20, to easily remove the dust from the surface ofthe filter medium 20.

In the present embodiment, the filter medium 20 is composed of fourlayers. The filter medium 20 may alternatively be composed of more thanfour layers. A filter medium composed of more than four layers can beobtained by alternately stacking porous PTFE membranes and air-permeablesupport members. To allow easy removal of dust, it is important that atleast one surface (main surface) of the filter medium 20 be formed by aporous PTFE membrane. Specifically, the filter medium 20 has a mainsurface that faces upstream in the flow direction of gas to be filteredand a main surface that faces downstream in the flow direction, and theupstream main surface is formed by the first porous PTFE membrane 11. Inthe present embodiment, the downstream main surface is formed by thesecond air-permeable support member 14. The term “main surface” refersto that surface of the filter medium 20 which has the largest area.

The parameters such as thickness, surface density, average porediameter, and porosity of the first porous PTFE membrane 11 may be equalto those of the second porous PTFE membrane 13. This means that porousPTFE membranes of the same type (porous PTFE membranes produced usingthe same material under the same conditions) can be used as the firstporous PTFE membrane 11 and the second porous PTFE membrane 13. Itshould be understood that the parameters such as thickness, surfacedensity, average pore diameter, and porosity of the first porous PTFEmembrane 11 may be different from those of the second porous PTFEmembrane 13.

A porous PTFE membrane that can be used as the first porous PTFEmembrane 11 or as the second porous PTFE membrane 13 has an average porediameter in the range of, for example, 0.01 to 100 μm or 0.01 to 50 μm.The porous PTFE membrane has a thickness, for example, in the range of 1to 300 μm or 2 to 100 μm.

The porous PTFE membrane can be produced by the following method. First,a fine PTFE powder is mixed with a solvent to prepare a paste. The pasteis extruded into the form of a sheet. The resulting PTFE sheet isstretched and sintered, and thus the porous PTFE membrane is obtained.In the stretching (typically biaxial stretching) of the PTFE sheet, thearea stretch ratio (a value calculated by multiplying the stretch ratioin one axial direction by the stretch ratio in a direction perpendicularto the one axial direction) is, for example, in the range of 50 to 900.The term “PTFE” as used herein is intended to include “modified PTFE”.

The first air-permeable support member 12 and the second air-permeablesupport member 14 have a sheet shape. The first air-permeable supportmember 12 and the second air-permeable support member 14 each havehigher strength and higher air permeability than, for example, a porousPTFE membrane used as at least one of the first porous PTFE membrane 11and second porous PTFE membrane 13. As the first air-permeable supportmember 12 and the second air-permeable support member 14 there can beused woven fabrics, non-woven fabrics, meshes, nets, and foamedmaterials. Among these, non-woven fabrics are most preferably used. Thefibers constituting the non-woven fabric used may be synthetic fibersmade of a polymer material such as polyolefin (such as polyethylene andpolypropylene), polyester (such as polyethylene terephthalate),polyamide, acrylic, and polyimide. The non-woven fabric may be acomposite fabric constituted by a plurality of types of fibers.Non-woven fabrics of the same type (the same product number) or ofdifferent types may be used as the first air-permeable support member 12and the second air-permeable support member 14. The first air-permeablesupport member 12 and the second air-permeable support member 14 eachhave a thickness, for example, in the range of 50 to 300 μm.

In the present embodiment, the first porous PTFE membrane 11, the firstair-permeable support member 12, the second porous PTFE membrane 13, andthe second air-permeable support member 14 are bonded to one another.The method for bonding these components is not particularly limited.These components may be bonded using an adhesive or may be bonded bythermal lamination. When the air-permeable support members 12 and 14 arenon-woven fabrics having thermal adhesiveness, thermal lamination issuitable for the present embodiment. With the use of thermal lamination,it is easier to achieve sufficient bond strength between the porous PTFEmembranes and the air-permeable support members while preventing adecrease in air permeability.

For example, when a non-woven fabric contains fibers made of athermoplastic resin such as polyethylene, the non-woven fabric exhibitsthermal adhesiveness at relatively low temperatures. When such anon-woven fabric and a porous PTFE membrane are placed on each other andthey are subjected to a pressure under heating, part of the fibers ofthe non-woven fabric are melted and solidified, so that the non-wovenfabric is bonded to the porous PTFE membrane. The bonding points arelocated only on the fibers of the non-woven fabric, and thus regionsdevoid of fibers can have air permeability.

The non-woven fabric may be an embossed non-woven fabric. The embossednon-woven fabric is a non-woven fabric having one or more recessedportions and one or more projecting portions. The embossed non-wovenfabric has higher stiffness and higher strength than an unembossednon-woven fabric as thick as the embossed non-woven fabric. The embossednon-woven fabric has an indented pattern or, in other words, theembossed non-woven fabric has a sea-island structure when viewed inplan. In the embossed non-woven fabric of the type shown in FIG. 2A(T-type), elliptical portions corresponding to “islands” (where thefibers are not melted) are projecting portions, and a portioncorresponding to the “sea” (where the fibers are melted) is a recessedportion. The T-type embossed non-woven fabric typically has a single,continuous recessed portion and a plurality of projecting portions. TheT-type embossed non-woven fabric may have a plurality of recessedportions separate from each other. In the embossed non-woven fabric ofthe type shown in FIG. 2B (S-type), circular portions corresponding to“islands” (where the fibers are melted) are recessed portions, and aportion corresponding to the “sea” (where the fibers are not melted) isa projecting portion. The S-type embossed non-woven fabric typically hasa plurality of recessed portions and a single, continuous projectingportion. The S-type embossed non-woven fabric may have a plurality ofprojecting portions separate from each other. With the use of theseembossed non-woven fabrics, the locations of the bonding pointsdescribed above are further limited, so that it is easier to achieveboth high air permeability and high bond strength.

As described with reference to FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, an embossed portionof an embossed non-woven fabric is formed as a result of melting andsolidification of a part of fibers of the non-woven fabric. The embossedportion also has air permeability; however, the air permeability of theembossed portion is lower than the air permeability of an unembossedportion. It is inferred that the air permeability of the filter mediumdecreases with an increase in the area of the embossed portion. In otherwords, it is inferred that the air permeability of the filter mediumdecreases with an increase in the ratio of the area of the embossedportion to the area of the embossed non-woven fabric (embossed arearatio). This inference is sufficiently valid when the bond strengthbetween the porous PTFE membrane and the embossed non-woven fabric isrelatively low. However, this inference is not necessarily valid whenthe bond strength between the porous PTFE membrane and the non-wovenfabric is relatively high.

Enhancement of the bond strength between the porous PTFE membrane andthe non-woven fabric requires, for example, increasing the heat appliedto the porous PTFE membrane and the non-woven fabric (raising theheating temperature and/or lengthening the heating time) in the thermallamination process. In other words, it is necessary to melt the fibersof the non-woven fabric to a greater extent. As demonstrated by theresults presented in EXAMPLES below, when the embossed area ratio in thenon-woven fabric is small, increasing the heat applied to the porousPTFE membrane and the non-woven fabric causes a considerable decrease inthe air permeability of the filter medium. By contrast, when the filtermedium is fabricated under the same conditions except for the use of anon-woven fabric having a large embossed area ratio, the decrease in airpermeability of the filter medium can be prevented. That is, it isimportant to use a non-woven fabric having an embossed area ratioappropriate for the required bond strength between the porous PTFEmembrane and the non-woven fabric.

In the present embodiment, the filter medium 20 can be placed at a givenlocation (for example, within a vacuum cleaner) in such a manner thatdust will be deposited on the surface formed by the first porous PTFEmembrane 11. To remove the dust adhering to the surface of the filtermedium 20, the filter medium 20 needs to be washed with water, exposedto a blast of air, or rubbed with a brush. In the filter medium 20 ofthe present embodiment, a bond strength A₁, as measured by a 180° peeltest, between the first porous PTFE membrane 11 and the firstair-permeable support member 12 is higher than 1.2 N/25 mm. When thebond strength A₁ between the first porous PTFE membrane 11 and the firstair-permeable support member 12 is higher than 1.2 N/25 mm, the filtermedium 20 of the present embodiment exhibits sufficient resistance topressure imposed by a water stream, air stream, or brush.

Furthermore, in the filter medium 20 of the present embodiment, theratio of the area of a recessed portion (or the ratio of the total areaof a plurality of recessed portions) of an embossed non-woven fabricserving as the first air-permeable support member 12 to the area of theembossed non-woven fabric is more than 15%. Thus, in the presentembodiment, not only is the bond strength A₁ between the first porousPTFE membrane 11 and the first air-permeable support member 12sufficiently high, but also the embossed area ratio in the non-wovenfabric serving as the first air-permeable support member 12 isappropriately adjusted so that the increase in the pressure loss acrossthe filter medium 20 due to the increase in the bond strength A₁ can beeffectively prevented.

The term “embossed area ratio” as used herein to describe an embossednon-woven fabric refers to the ratio of the area of a recessed portion(portion where fibers are melted) or the total area of a plurality ofrecessed portions to the area of the embossed non-woven fabric. Theembossed area ratio can be calculated by the following method. Thesurface of the non-woven fabric is observed with an electron microscope(SEM) at a given magnification (for example, a magnification of 25times). On the basis of the obtained SEM image, the proportion of theembossed portion(s) (recessed portion(s)) is calculated. In the case ofan S-type non-woven fabric (see FIG. 2B), the recessed portions areassumed to be circular. In the case of a T-type non-woven fabric (seeFIG. 2A), the projecting portions (unembossed portions) are assumed tobe elliptical.

The embossed area ratio in the non-woven fabric serving as the firstair-permeable support member 12 can be measured, even after productionof the filter medium 20, by separating the first porous PTFE membrane 11or second porous PTFE membrane 13 from the first air-permeable supportmember 12. With the use of a flat roll having a flat surface in thethermal lamination process, the embossed area ratio in the non-wovenfabric hardly changes even after the thermal lamination process. Theembossed portion(s) can be distinguished from the rest of the non-wovenfabric even after separation of the first porous PTFE membrane 11 orsecond porous PTFE membrane 13 from the first air-permeable supportmember 12. The same applies to the second air-permeable support member14.

The embossed non-woven fabric is, for example, a double-embossednon-woven fabric having two embossed surfaces. When a double-embossednon-woven fabric is used as the first air-permeable support member 12,the two embossed surfaces of the first air-permeable support member 12are in contact with the first porous PTFE membrane 11 and the secondporous PTFE membrane 13, respectively. When double-embossed non-wovenfabrics are used as the first air-permeable support member 12 and thesecond air-permeable support member 14, the use of the same material canbe expected to produce a cost-reducing effect. Additionally, the use ofdouble-embossed non-woven fabrics reduces the occurrence of errors inmanufacturing of the filter medium 20, since there is no distinctionbetween the two sides of double-embossed non-woven fabrics.

A single-embossed non-woven fabric having only one embossed surface maybe used as the first air-permeable support member 12. A single-embossednon-woven fabric having only one embossed surface may be used as thesecond air-permeable support member 14.

The embossed area ratio is desirably more than 20%. The upper limit ofthe embossed area ratio is not particularly defined. The embossed arearatio may be less than 60% or may even be less than 50%. When theembossed area ratio in the first air-permeable support member 12 iswithin an appropriate range, the filter medium 20 having a good balancebetween the durability and air permeability can be obtained.

Embossed non-woven fabrics include T-type embossed non-woven fabrics andS-type embossed non-woven fabrics as described with reference to FIG. 2Aand FIG. 2B. For the present embodiment, the use of a T-type embossednon-woven fabric (FIG. 2A) is recommended. The T-type embossed non-wovenfabric has the advantage of being able to be easily pleated.

In the T-type embossed non-woven fabric shown in FIG. 2A, thelongitudinal direction of a plurality of unembossed portions (thedirection of the major axis of each ellipse) coincides with the verticalor horizontal direction. In other words, each pair of the unembossedportions form a T-shape. Thus, the T-type embossed non-woven fabric caneasily be pleated when, as shown in FIG. 2C, the pleating is carried outin such a manner that the direction of the pleating folds (the directionof mountain and valley folds) coincides with the longitudinal directionof the unembossed portions 16.

In the present embodiment, the bond strength A₁ between the first porousPTFE membrane 11 and the first air-permeable support member 12 is higherthan a bond strength A₂, as measured by the 180° peel test, between thefirst air-permeable support member 12 and the second porous PTFEmembrane 13. The second porous PTFE membrane 13 is disposed between thepair of support members 12 and 14 and has no direct contact with a brushor water during cleaning of the filter medium 20. This is why the bondstrength A₂ between the first air-permeable support member 12 and thesecond porous PTFE membrane 13 has no significant influence on thedurability required for removal of dust from the surface of the filtermedium 20. Thus, adjusting the bond strengths A₁ and A₂ to establish theabove-mentioned relationship makes it possible to improve the durabilityof the filter medium 20 while avoiding a significant decrease in airpermeability. That is, both high durability and high air permeabilitycan be achieved.

In the present embodiment, the bond strength A₁ between the first porousPTFE membrane 11 and the first air-permeable support member 12 isdesirably 1.8 N/25 mm or more. In this case, higher durability can beimparted to the filter medium 20. The bond strength A₁ between the firstporous PTFE membrane 11 and the first air-permeable support member 12may be 2.5 N/25 mm or less. In this case, it is possible to avoidexcessively close bonding and impart sufficient air permeability to thefilter medium 20. When the bond strength A₁ between the first porousPTFE membrane 11 and the first air-permeable support member 12 is in therange of 1.8 N/25 mm to 2.5 N/25 mm, the filter medium 20 having a goodbalance between the durability and air permeability can be obtained.

The bond strength A₂ between the first air-permeable support member 12and the second porous PTFE membrane 13 is not particularly limited, aslong as the bond strength A₂ is lower than the bond strength A₁ betweenthe first porous PTFE membrane 11 and the first air-permeable supportmember 12. The upper limit of the bond strength A₂ is, for example, 1.6N/25 mm. The lower limit of the bond strength A₂ is, for example, 0.2N/25 mm. When the bond strength A₂ falls within an appropriate range,the filter medium 20 is more likely to have sufficient air permeability.The difference between the bond strength A₁ and the bond strength A₂ isnot particularly limited either. In an example, the difference betweenthe bond strength A₁ and the bond strength A₂ is in the range of 0.2 to2.3 N/25 mm.

The above values of the bond strengths A₁ and A₂ are those measured by a180° peel test. The 180° peel test can be conducted by thebelow-described methods according to Japanese Industrial Standard, JIS Z0237.

The method illustrated in FIG. 3A is a method for measuring the bondstrength A₁ between the first porous PTFE membrane 11 and the firstair-permeable support member 12. First, the filter medium 20 is cut intoa test specimen with a size of 100 mm×25 mm. The test specimen has alength of 100 mm in the MD direction (MD: Machine Direction) of thefirst porous PTFE membrane 11 and a width of 25 mm in the TD direction(TD: Transverse Direction) of the first porous PTFE membrane 11. The MDand TD directions correspond to those in the production of the firstporous PTFE membrane 11. A non-bonded portion where the first porousPTFE membrane 11 and the first air-permeable support member 12 are notbonded is provided beforehand at the longitudinal end of the testspecimen so that peeling can occur at the interface between the firstporous PTFE membrane 11 and the first air-permeable support member 12.Next, the test specimen is attached to a stainless steel plate 25 with adouble-coated adhesive tape 26 (No. 500, manufactured by Nitto DenkoCorporation). The non-bonded portion of the test specimen is thensecured to a chuck 24 of a tensile tester (Autograph AG-1, manufacturedby Shimadzu Corporation). After that, the chuck 24 is drawn upward at aspeed of 300 mm/min to cause peeling at the interface between the firstporous PTFE membrane 11 and the first air-permeable support member 12,thereby measuring the 180° peel strength. Values measured initiallyafter the start of the measurement over a length of 25 mm are ignored,and the average of the subsequently measured values (in units of N)continuously recorded for a 50-mm-long portion of the test specimenstripped off from the stainless steel plate 25 is determined as the bondstrength A₁ of the filter medium 20.

The method illustrated in FIG. 3B is a method for measuring the bondstrength A₂ between the first air-permeable support member 12 and thesecond porous PTFE membrane 13. In this method, a non-bonded portionwhere the first air-permeable support member 12 and the second porousPTFE membrane 13 are not bonded is provided at the longitudinal end ofthe test specimen so that peeling can occur at the interface between thefirst air-permeable support member 12 and the second porous PTFEmembrane 13. The non-bonded portion of the test specimen is secured tothe chuck 24 of the tensile tester. After that, the chuck 24 is drawnupward at a speed of 300 mm/min to cause peeling at the interfacebetween the first air-permeable support member 12 and the second porousPTFE membrane 13, thereby measuring the 180° peel strength. The averageof measured values (in units of N) continuously recorded is determinedas the bond strength A₂ of the filter medium 20. Also in the methodillustrated in FIG. 3B, the test specimen has a length of 100 mm in theMD direction (MD: Machine Direction) of the second porous PTFE membrane13 and a width of 25 mm in the TD direction (TD: Transverse Direction)of the first porous PTFE membrane 11. In general, the MD and TDdirections of the second porous PTFE membrane 13 coincide with the MDand TD directions of the first porous PTFE membrane 11.

When measurement is performed by the method illustrated in FIG. 3A,cohesive failure may occur in the first porous PTFE membrane 11 withoutevident peeling at the interface between the first porous PTFE membrane11 and the first air-permeable support member 12. However, the valueobtained by the method described with reference to FIG. 3A is definedherein as the “bond strength A₁ between the first porous PTFE membrane11 and the first air-permeable support member 12”. Similarly, whenmeasurement is performed by the method illustrated in FIG. 3B, cohesivefailure may occur in the second porous PTFE membrane 13 without evidentpeeling at the interface between the first air-permeable support member12 and the second porous PTFE membrane 13. The value obtained by themethod described with reference to FIG. 3B is defined herein as the“bond strength A₂ between the first air-permeable support member 12 andthe second porous PTFE membrane 13”.

The pressure drop across the filter medium 20 is, for example, in therange of 50 to 400 Pa. The “pressure drop” refers to a pressure dropthat occurs when air is allowed to pass through the filter medium 20 ata flow velocity of 5.3 cm/sec. Specifically, the pressure drop can bemeasured by the following method. That is, the filter medium 20 is setto a cylindrical holder with an effective area of 100 cm², and apressure difference is created between the two sides of the filtermedium 20 to allow air to pass through the filter medium 20. The flowvelocity of the air passing through the filter medium 20 is adjusted to5.3 cm/sec (corresponding to a flow rate of 31.8 m³/min) with the aid ofa flowmeter, and then the pressure drop is measured with a pressuremeter (manometer).

The filter medium 20 exhibits a collection efficiency higher than 90%,for example, for particles having a particle diameter in the range of0.1 to 0.2 μm. Generally, a filter medium that exhibits high collectionefficiency for small particles tends to have low air permeability, andit is difficult to impart both high durability and high air permeabilityto such a filter medium. According to the present embodiment, it ispossible to impart both high durability and high air permeability to afilter medium that exhibits high collection efficiency for smallparticles.

The collection efficiency can be measured by the following method. Thatis, the filter medium 20 is set to a cylindrical holder with aneffective area of 100 cm², and a pressure difference is created betweenthe two sides of the filter medium 20 to allow gas to pass through thefilter medium 20. The pressure difference is adjusted to control theliner velocity of the gas passing through the filter medium 20 to 5.3cm/sec (corresponding to a flow rate of 31.8 m³/min). Next, polydispersedioctyl phthalate (DOP) particles specified in JIS Z 8901 are introducedinto the gas present upstream of the filter medium 20 in such a mannerthat the concentration of particles having particle diameters in apredetermined range is 10⁶ particles/liter. The concentration of the DOPparticles present downstream of the filter medium 20 is then measuredwith a particle counter. The range of the diameter of the particles tobe counted by the particle counter is, for example, from 0.1 to 0.2 μm.The collection efficiency can be calculated by the following equation:Collection efficiency=(1−(downstream concentration of DOPparticles/upstream concentration of DOP particles))×100(%).Polyalphaolefin (PAO) may be used instead of the DOP particles.

The filter medium 20 may be a HEPA filter (High Efficiency ParticulateAir Filter) or may be an ULPA filter (Ultra Low Penetration Air Filter).Both the HEPA filter and ULPA filter are filters specified in JapaneseIndustrial Standard, JIS Z 8122.

The filter medium 20 may be pleated into a series of W-shapes. Thepleating of the filter medium 20 can be accomplished using a knownpleating machine (such as a rotary pleating machine, a reciprocatingpleating machine, and a striping pleating machine). In the filter medium20 of the present embodiment, the bond strength A₁ between the firstporous PTFE membrane 11 and the first air-permeable support member 12 ishigher than the bond strength A₂ between the first air-permeable supportmember 12 and the second porous PTFE membrane 13. In this case, thestiffness of the filter medium 20 is lower than in the case where thebond strength A₂ is equal to the bond strength A₁, and thus the abovepleating can more easily be carried out.

Next, a method for producing the filter medium 20 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the first porous PTFE membrane 11, the firstair-permeable support member 12, the second porous PTFE membrane 13, andthe second air-permeable support member 14 are individually prepared onrolls. The first porous PTFE membrane 11, the first air-permeablesupport member 12, the second porous PTFE membrane 13, and the secondair-permeable support member 14 are fed from the rolls and assembledtogether to form a stack 20 s of the membranes and members. The stack 20s is delivered to a pair of lamination rolls 27 a and 27 b and passedthrough the gap between the lamination rolls 27 a and 27 b. During thispassage, heat and pressure are applied to the stack 20 s from the rolls27 a and 27 b, and thereby the fibers constituting the air-permeablesupport members (non-woven fabrics) 12 and 14 are melted and solidified,so that the first porous PTFE membrane 11, the first air-permeablesupport member 12, the second porous PTFE membrane 13, and the secondair-permeable support member 14 are bonded to one another. The filtermedium 20 is thus obtained.

The pair of lamination rolls 27 a and 27 b is configured to apply heatand pressure to the stack 20 s. In the present embodiment, the rolls 27a and 27 b are configured so that the surface temperature of the roll 27a that contacts one surface of the stack 20 s can be made different fromthe surface temperature of the roll 27 b that contacts the other surfaceof the stack 20 s. For example, only the lamination roll 27 a isequipped with a heater, while the lamination roll 27 b is not equippedwith any heater. Typically, the lamination roll 27 a is a heating roll,and the lamination roll 27 b is a nip roll. As the stack 20 s is passingthrough the gap between the lamination rolls 27 a and 27 b, the firstporous PTFE membrane 11 contacts the lamination roll 27 a and the secondair-permeable support member 14 contacts the lamination roll 27 b. Thisallows heat to be preferentially transmitted to the first porous PTFEmembrane 11 and the first air-permeable support member 12. The thermallamination of the stack 20 s can thus be accomplished so that the bondstrength A₁ between the first porous PTFE membrane 11 and the firstair-permeable support member 12 will be higher than the bond strength A₂between the first air-permeable support member 12 and the second porousPTFE membrane 13. It is naturally important to appropriately control theconditions such as the surface temperature of the lamination roll 27 a,the pressure applied to the stack 20 s, and the conveyance speed of thestack 20 s.

Alternatively, the thermal lamination process can be carried out in twostages as shown in FIG. 4B. In the first stage, which is illustrated inthe upper part of FIG. 4B, the stack 20 s is heated from both above andbelow by heaters 29 placed on the conveyance path, and is then directedto the gap between a roll 28 a and a roll 28 b. Typically, the roll 28 ais a rotating roll, and the roll 28 b is a nip roll. The heaters 29 are,for example, infrared heaters. For example, the rolls 28 a and 28 b havethe function of applying pressure to the stack 20 s but do not have thefunction of applying heat to the stack 20 s. Thus, the first porous PTFEmembrane 11, the first air-permeable support member 12, the secondporous PTFE membrane 13, and the second air-permeable support member 14are provisionally bonded through the rolls 28 a and 28 b, thereby givinga stack 20 k. Next, in the second stage, which is illustrated in thelower part of FIG. 4B, the stack 20 k is delivered to the laminationrolls 27 a and 27 b identical to those as described with reference toFIG. 4A. As the stack 20 k is passing through the gap between thelamination rolls 27 a and 27 b, the lamination roll 27 a for heatingcontacts the first porous PTFE membrane 11 of the stack 20 k. Thethermal lamination of the stack 20 k can thus be accomplished so thatthe bond strength A₁ between the first porous PTFE membrane 11 and thefirst air-permeable support member 12 will be higher than the bondstrength A₂ between the first air-permeable support member 12 and thesecond porous PTFE membrane 13.

In the methods described with reference to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, thefirst porous PTFE membrane 11 and the first air-permeable support member12 may be preliminarily bonded loosely before the formation of the stack20 s. Similarly, the second porous PTFE membrane 13 and the secondair-permeable support member 14 may be preliminarily bonded loosely.

As shown in FIG. 5, a filter unit 30 includes a filter medium 20 a and asupport frame 22. The filter medium 20 a is obtained by pleating of thefilter medium 20 shown in FIG. 1. The support frame 22 supports theouter peripheral portion of the filter medium 20 a. The support frame 22is made of resin or metal. The filter medium 20 a may be fixed to thesupport frame 22 with an adhesive. The support frame 22 may be providedwith a structure for fixedly holding the outer peripheral portion of thefilter medium 20 a. Furthermore, the outer peripheral portion of thefilter medium 20 a may be buried in the support frame 22. That is, thesupport frame 22 and the filter medium 20 a may be integrally formed byinsert molding.

Next, an example of the application of the filter unit 30 will bedescribed. The filter unit 30 can be used, for example, as an exhaustfilter of a vacuum cleaner.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, the vacuum cleaner 40 is a cyclonevacuum cleaner. However, the filter unit 30 of the present embodiment isapplicable to a vacuum cleaner (such as a paper bag vacuum cleaner)other than cyclone vacuum cleaners.

The vacuum cleaner 40 includes: a mechanism 31 (a cyclone or paper bag)for separating dust from intake air; a motor 32 for rotating a fan 33;and at least one filter unit 30. In the example shown in FIG. 6, two (aplurality of) filter units 30 are provided. One of the filter units 30is disposed between the mechanism 31 and the motor 32 in an air flowpath. The other of the filter units 30 is disposed between the motor 32and an exhaust port (not shown) in the air flow path. In each filterunit 30, the first porous PTFE membrane 11 is located most upstream inthe flow direction of air and the second air-permeable support member 14is located most downstream in the flow direction of air. Thus, dust isdeposited mainly on the surface of the first porous PTFE membrane 11.One of the filter units 30 that is located more downstream serves alsoto collect carbon powder discharged from the motor 32. Each filter unit30 is detachable from the vacuum cleaner 40. Dust deposited on thesurface of each filter unit 30 (in particular, on the surface of thefirst porous PTFE membrane 11) can be removed, for example, by means ofa brush, an air stream, or a water stream.

EXAMPLES Example 1

A filter medium having the configuration described with reference toFIG. 1 was fabricated by the method described with reference to FIG. 4A.ULPA-grade porous PTFE membranes (NTF 9522-01, manufactured by NittoDenko Corporation) were used as the first porous PTFE membrane and thesecond porous PTFE membrane. T-type PET/PE core-sheath non-woven fabrics(T0303WDO, double-embossed non-woven fabric manufactured by UNITIKALTD.; embossed area ratio=47%, melting point of sheath-forming PE=129°C., melting point of core-forming PET=261° C.) were used as the firstair-permeable support member and the second air-permeable supportmember. The surface temperature of the lamination roll (roll 27 a) forheating was 200° C. A nip roll having no heater was used as the otherlamination roll (roll 27 b). The conveyance speed of the stack (stack 20s) of the first porous PTFE membrane, the first air-permeable supportmember, the second porous PTFE membrane, and the second air-permeablesupport member was 5 m/min.

Example 2

A filter medium having the configuration described with reference toFIG. 1 was fabricated by the method described with reference to FIG. 4B.ULPA-grade porous PTFE membranes (NTF 9522-01, manufactured by NittoDenko Corporation) were used as the first porous PTFE membrane and thesecond porous PTFE membrane. T-type PET/PE core-sheath non-woven fabrics(T0303WDO, manufactured by UNITIKA LTD.) were used as the firstair-permeable support member and the second air-permeable supportmember. In the first stage as illustrated in the upper part of FIG. 4B,a power supplied to the infrared heaters (heaters 29) was controlled sothat the stack (stack 20 s) was heated at a temperature of 150° C. Inthe first stage, the conveyance speed of the stack was 7 m/min. In thesecond stage as illustrated in the lower part of FIG. 4B, the surfacetemperature of the lamination roll (roll 27 a) for heating was 150° C. Anip roll having no heater was used as the other lamination roll (roll 27b). In the second stage, the conveyance speed of the stack (stack 20 k)of the first porous PTFE membrane, the first air-permeable supportmember, the second porous PTFE membrane, and the second air-permeablesupport member was 5 m/min.

Example 3

A filter medium of Example 3 was fabricated in the same manner as inExample 2, except for using an S-type PET/PE core-sheath non-wovenfabric (S0303WDO, double-embossed non-woven fabric manufactured byUNITIKA LTD.; embossed area ratio=13%) as the second air-permeablesupport member.

Comparative Example 1

A filter medium of Comparative Example 1 was fabricated in the samemanner as in Example 1, except for using S-type PET/PE core-sheathnon-woven fabrics (S0303WDO, manufactured by UNITIKA LTD.) as the firstair-permeable support member and the second air-permeable supportmember.

Comparative Example 2

A filter medium of Comparative Example 2 was fabricated in the samemanner as in Example 2, except that, in the method described withreference to FIG. 4B, only the first stage (the upper part of FIG. 4B)was performed using S-type PET/PE core-sheath non-woven fabrics(S0303WDO, manufactured by UNITIKA LTD.) as the first air-permeablesupport member and the second air-permeable support member with omissionof the second stage (the lower part of FIG. 4B).

Comparative Example 3

A filter medium of Comparative Example 3 was fabricated in the samemanner as in Example 2, except that, in the method described withreference to FIG. 4B, only the first stage (the upper part of FIG. 4B)was performed with omission of the second stage (the lower part of FIG.4B).

Comparative Example 4

A five-layer filter medium including a first air-permeable supportmember, a first porous PTFE membrane, a second air-permeable supportmember, a second porous PTFE membrane, and a third air-permeable supportmember that were stacked in this order and bonded to one another wasfabricated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 2. That is, afive-layer filter medium of Comparative Example 4 was fabricated in thesame manner as in Example 2, except that, in the method described withreference to FIG. 4B, only the first stage (the upper part of FIG. 4B)was performed with omission of the second stage (the lower part of FIG.4B). ULPA-grade porous PTFE membranes (NTF 9522-01, manufactured byNitto Denko Corporation) were used as the first porous PTFE membrane andthe second porous PTFE membrane. T-type PET/PE core-sheath non-wovenfabrics (T0303WDO, manufactured by UNITIKA LTD.) were used as the firstto third air-permeable support members. The filter medium of ComparativeExample 4 corresponds to a filter medium having a configurationdisclosed in FIG. 1 of Patent Literature 2.

[Pressure Drop]

The pressure drop across each of the filter media of Examples andComparative Examples was measured by the method previously described.The results are shown in Table 1.

[Collection Efficiency]

The collection efficiency of each of the filter media of Examples andComparative Examples was measured by the method previously described.For this collection efficiency measurement, particles having a particlediameter in the range of 0.1 to 0.2 μm (particles whose particlediameters are distributed within the above range) were used. The resultsare shown in Table 1.

[Durability]

A durability test was conducted for the filter media of Examples andComparative Examples by the following method. First, each of the filtermedia of Examples and Comparative Example was cut to give a testspecimen having a length of 300 mm and a width of 900 mm. As shown inFIG. 7, air with a pressure of 0.2 MPa was blown to a surface of thetest specimen (the surface formed by a porous PTFE membrane) by an airgun 35 at an angle of 45 degrees from a point 10 cm away from thesurface. While air was blown to the test specimen, the air gun 35 wasslowly moved in the width direction WD of the test specimen for 10seconds. After that, the test specimen was visually inspected. Whenpealing of the porous PTFE membrane was not observed in the testspecimen, the filter medium was rated as acceptable (∘), while whenpealing of the porous PTFE membrane was observed in the test specimen,the filter medium was rated as unacceptable (x). The results are shownin Table 1. The width direction WD coincided with the TD direction inthe production of the porous PTFE membrane.

[Ease of Cleaning]

A test for examining the ease of cleaning of the filter media ofExamples and Comparative Examples was conducted by the following method.First, each of the filter media of Examples and Comparative Examples wascut to give a test specimen attachable to a circular-conical holder withan effective area of 100 cm². The test specimen was set to the holder,and 0.2 g of test powder (No. 8) specified in JIS Z 8901 was spread onthe surface of the filter medium. Air was then allowed to pass throughthe test specimen at a linear velocity of 0.2 m/min for 1 minute.Subsequently, the surface of the test specimen was washed with runningwater for 5 minutes to remove the powder. This procedure was repeatedfive times. After that, the test specimen was visually inspected. Whenfouling was not clearly visible in the test specimen, the filter mediumwas rated as acceptable (∘), while when fouling was clearly visible inthe test specimen, the filter medium was rated as unacceptable (x). Theresults are shown in Table 1, FIG. 8A, and FIG. 8B. FIG. 8A is anoptical photograph of the surface of the filter medium of Example 1 asobserved after the test. FIG. 8B is an optical photograph of the surfaceof the filter medium of Comparative Example 4 as observed after thetest.

[Increase in Pressure Drop]

After the test for examining the ease of cleaning, each test specimenwas thoroughly dried, and the pressure drop was then measured. Theincrease in pressure drop was calculated by the equation given below.The results are shown in Table 1.Increase in pressure drop (%)=100×(P2−P1)/P1

P1: Pressure drop as measured before the test for examining the ease ofcleaning

P2: Pressure drop as measured after the test for examining the ease ofcleaning

[Bond Strength]

Each of the filter media of Examples and Comparative Examples wassubjected to a 180° peel test. Specifically, the bond strength A₁between the first porous PTFE membrane and the first air-permeablesupport member (non-woven fabric) was measured by the method describedwith reference to FIG. 3A. The bond strength A₂ between the firstair-permeable support member (non-woven fabric) and the second porousPTFE membrane was measured by the method described with reference toFIG. 3B. For Comparative Example 4, a bond strength between the firstair-permeable support member (first layer) and the first porous PTFEmembrane (second layer) was measured as the “bond strength A₁” accordingto the method described with reference to FIG. 3B, and a bond strengthbetween the second air-permeable support member (third layer) and thesecond porous PTFE membrane (fourth layer) was measured as the “bondstrength A₂” according to the method described with reference to FIG.3B. The results are shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Increase in Type of Thermal Pressure Collection pressure BondBond non-woven lamination drop efficiency Ease of drop strength A₁strength A₂ fabric process (Pa) (%) Durability cleaning (%) (N/25 mm)(N/25 mm) Example 1 T/T One-stage 280 99.99≤ ∘ ∘ 0 2.5 1.0 process(heating roll) Example 2 T/T Two-stage 220 99.99≤ ∘ ∘ 0 2.1 0.4 processExample 3 T/S Two-stage 220 99.99≤ ∘ ∘ 0 2.1 0.4 process Comparative S/SOne-stage 370 99.99≤ ∘ ∘ 0 2.6 1.5 Example 1 process (heating roll)Comparative S/S One-stage 230 99.99≤ x Not Not 1.2 0.4 Example 2 processmeasurable measurable (infrared) Comparative T/T One-stage 200 99.99≤ xNot Not 1.2 0.4 Example 3 process measurable measurable (infrared)Comparative T/T/T One-stage 220 99.99≤ Not tested x 6 0.4 0.4 Example 4process (infrared)

As shown in Table 1, the filter medium of Example 1, in which anon-woven fabric having a large embossed area ratio was used as thefirst air-permeable support member, exhibited a sufficiently lowerpressure drop than the filter medium of Comparative Example 1 in which anon-woven fabric having a small embossed area ratio was used as thefirst air-permeable support member.

As seen by comparing Example 1 and Example 2, the two-stage laminationprocess described with reference to FIG. 4B successfully increased thebond strength A₁ between the first porous PTFE membrane and the firstair-permeable support member while reducing the increase in the bondstrength A₂ between the first air-permeable support member and thesecond porous PTFE membrane.

As seen from Example 2, the filter medium of Example 2, in which anon-woven fabric having a large embossed area ratio was used as thefirst air-permeable support member, exhibited a sufficiently lowpressure drop despite the use of the two-stage lamination process.

As seen by comparing Example 2 and Example 3, the difference in theembossed area ratio of the second air-permeable support member exertedno significant effect on the properties of the filter media.

For the filter media of Comparative Examples 2 and 3, the bond strengthA₁ was as low as 1.2 N/25 mm, and peeling of the porous PTFE membranewas observed in the durability test.

The bond strength A₂ in Example 2 was approximately equal to the bondstrength A₂ in Comparative Example 3. This suggests that the secondstage (the lower part of FIG. 4B) in the method described with referenceto FIG. 4B is capable of preferentially increasing the bond strength A₁while causing little increase in bond strength A₂. That is, the methoddescribed with reference to FIG. 4B allows easy control of the bondstrengths A₁ and A₂.

The surface (outermost surface) of each of the filter media of Examples1 to 3 was formed by a porous PTFE membrane. Thus, as seen from FIG. 8A,dust was sufficiently removed by simple cleaning. By contrast, thesurface of the filter medium of Comparative Example 4 was formed by anair-permeable support member (non-woven fabric). Thus, as seen from FIG.8B, dust was not sufficiently removed by cleaning. The surface of eachof the filter media of Comparative Examples 2 and 3 was formed by aporous PTFE membrane; however, the porous PTFE membrane was brokenduring cleaning because the bond strength A₁ was low. The bond strengthA₁ of the filter medium of Comparative Example 4 was as low as 0.4 N/25mm. However, the non-woven fabric forming the surface of the filtermedium of Comparative Example 4 was not broken during cleaning.

The increase in pressure drop was 0% for all of the filter media ofExamples 1 to 3. This means that, in Examples 1 to 3, the pressure dropremained unchanged before and after the test for examining the ease ofcleaning. For the filter medium of Comparative Example 4, the pressuredrop was increased by about 6%, compared to that measured before thetest for examining the ease of cleaning.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The technique disclosed herein is applicable to various filters such asintake air filters for turbines, air filters for clean rooms, andfilters for household electric appliances. The technique disclosedherein particularly contributes to improvement of vacuum-cleaner filterswhich may be frequently cleaned.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A filter medium comprising a first porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane, a first air-permeable support member, a second porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane, and a second air-permeable support member that are stacked in this order and bonded to one another, wherein a surface of the filter medium is formed by the first porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane, a bond strength, as measured by a 180° peel test, between the first porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane and the first air-permeable support member is higher than 1.2 N/25 mm and equal to or less than 2.5 N/25 mm, the first air-permeable support member is an embossed non-woven fabric having one or more recessed portions and one or more projecting portions, the one or more recessed portions correspond to melted regions of the non-woven fabric, the one or more projecting portions correspond to un-melted regions of the non-woven fabric, a ratio of the area of the recessed portion or the total area of the recessed portions to the area of the embossed non-woven fabric serving as the first air-permeable support member is more than 15%, the bond strength between the first porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane and the first air-permeable support member is defined as a bond strength A₁, a bond strength, as measured by the 180° peel test, between the first air-permeable support member and the second porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane is defined as a bond strength A₂, the difference between the bond strength A₁ and the bond strength A₂ is in the range of 0.2 to 2.3 N/25 mm, and wherein the bond strength A₁ is higher than the bond strength A₂.
 2. The filter medium according to claim 1, wherein the embossed non-woven fabric has a sea-island structure when viewed in plan, and in the embossed non-woven fabric, a portion corresponding to the sea is the recessed portion, and a portion corresponding to an island is the projecting portion.
 3. The filter medium according to claim 1, wherein the ratio is less than 60%.
 4. The filter medium according to claim 1, wherein the first porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane, the first air-permeable support member, the second porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane, and the second air-permeable support member are bonded to one another by thermal lamination.
 5. The filter medium according to claim 1, wherein the filter medium is pleated.
 6. A filter unit comprising: the filter medium according to claim 1; and a support frame supporting an outer peripheral portion of the filter medium.
 7. The filter medium according to claim 1, wherein the bond strength A₂ is in the range of 0.2 to 1.6 N/25 mm.
 8. A filter medium comprising a first porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane, a first air-permeable support member, a second porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane, and a second air-permeable support member that are stacked in this order and bonded to one another, wherein a surface of the filter medium is formed by the first porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane, a bond strength, as measured by a 180° peel test, between the first porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane and the first air-permeable support member is higher than 1.2 N/25 mm and equal to 2.5 N/25 mm or less, the first air-permeable support member is an embossed non-woven fabric having one or more recessed portions and one or more projecting portions, the one or more recessed portions correspond to melted regions of the non-woven fabric, the one or more projecting portions correspond to un-melted regions of the non-woven fabric, a ratio of the area of the recessed portion or the total area of the recessed portions to the area of the embossed non-woven fabric serving as the first air-permeable support member is more than 15%, the bond strength between the first porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane and the first air-permeable support member is defined as a bond strength A₁, a bond strength, as measured by the 180° peel test, between the first air-permeable support member and the second porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane is defined as a bond strength A₂, and wherein the bond strength A₁ is higher than the bond strength A₂. 